1. Field of the Disclosure
This invention relates generally to providing insulation materials for application to and installation in buildings or other structures and, in particular, to an improved system, method and apparatus for the economical and efficient application of particulate insulation materials from bales or bags of insulation to the surfaces of buildings or other structures by processing and pneumatically blowing or spraying such materials.
2. Description of the Related Art
Insulation materials such as fibers of granulated rock wool, granulated mineral fiber wool, glass fiber materials, cellulose fibers, expanded mica, etc., may comprise a particulate form. They are typically either blown dry or sprayed through a nozzle with a liquid to form an insulating and sealing coating on a surface. These materials are blown on conventional walls, attics and ceilings in places of habitation or working areas, but also may be sprayed on any other surface as desired.
The insulation material used in conventional insulation spraying and blowing machines is usually in a relatively loose condition. However, it is packed under high compression in bales, bags or sacks for shipment to the user. Upon being opened, the bales or bags are typically manually placed into the receiving hopper of the insulation spraying and blowing machine. The compressed masses of insulation material normally would render the insulation material difficult to use in a conventional apparatus that requires feeding through an air hose to a dispensing nozzle. To reduce the masses of insulation, which may include nodules of material, separation into particulate form must be performed. To some extent the insulation material may be entwined rather than discreet in form. The particulate may include not only particles but also intertwined or overlapping fibers.
To apply insulation materials not only in particulate form but also economically and efficiently, the desirable insulation blowing apparatus would be on a wheeled vehicle for convenience and economy of application. This necessitates a near continuous supply of insulation filled bags with the insulation being emptied into the hopper of the insulation blowing machine.
Accordingly, some commercial hoppers are quite large and operate to fill machines with a series of material separation and movement devices for sequentially chopping, mixing and churning the material, which significantly increases the overall size and complexity of the machine. In contrast, small volume machines have hoppers with minimal capacity and require continuous attention. Small machines also require the insulation to be broken up into smaller pieces for introduction into the feeding hoppers. Moreover, all small machines are electric and do not have their own power supply, with many requiring a dual electric circuit to provide power to their chopper and blower. An improved design for processing and distributing insulation would be desirable.